I’ve made challah most Shabboses since I got married. The reason? Whenever I’m at someone else’s house for a Shabbos meal and the challah cover is over the loaves, concealing their identity, I always silently pray for delicious homemade challah to be revealed! I figure my guests may feel the same way.

I’ve made a bunch of different recipes since I started baking challah but several years ago I thought of how much I love cinnamon raisin bagels and wondered if I could take that taste and combine it with challah. Then my mother was diagnosed with cancer shortly thereafter and our family was in shock. We tried to combat the news in all sorts of ways: she changed her diet, we prayed, asked people to do extra mitzvahs in her merit, we did extra mitzvahs.

But I decided that we needed more sweetness in our lives. So I began to tackle this cinnamon raisin challah recipe I had been dreaming of and after many different attempts came up with a cinnamon sugar raisin walnut challah which my family (and guests) have adored ever since.

Check out the video my daughters and I made to show you how to create this challah in your kitchen and I hope it adds a bit more sweetness to your life too!